Sea Creature Actinia Inspires Scientists How To Rid Water Of Contaminants

Eddie Gonzales Jr. – MessageToEagle.com – While searching for extraterrestrial life astronomers tend to focus on finding watery worlds. Although there can be very unique organisms living on alien worlds, life as we know it depends on water.

On our planet, water is precious and it’s time we took better care of our own oceans. That’s exactly what is happening now. Researchers have discovered a remarkable sea creature known as Actinia that can provide them with inspiration how to rid Earth’s water of contaminants.

Actinia equina – Credit: Fabrizio P. Fonte – CC BY-SA 3.0

Actinia is a sea anemone with a spherical body that has tentacles that retract while resting and extend while catching its prey. With this marine predator as their model, the researchers synthesized the coagulant, using organic and inorganic components to replicate the structure of Actinia.

Creating an efficient and easy-to-operate technology to remove all contaminants from water is key to addressing global water scarcity, but that is easier said than done.

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While trying to remove contaminants from our water, scientists face technological and financial issues, but a material known as a nanocoagulant can speed up the process.

A research team from the Yale University has now synthesized a novel, highly stable nanocoagulant different from conventional coagulants in structure, performance and behavior. In additional to removing suspended particles, this nanocoagulant also removes small dissolved contaminants.

“The behavior of the nanocoagulant is controlled by its structure,” said Ryan DuChanois, a Ph.D. student in Elimelech’s lab in a press statement. “Under certain conditions, the nanocoagulant maintains a structure that allows for it to be stored over time.”

Similar to Actinia, the nanocoagulant has a core-shell structure that turns inside-out in water. The shell destabilizes and enmeshes larger suspended particles, while the exposed core captures the smaller, dissolved ones. It removes a broad spectrum of contaminants, from trace micropollutants to larger particles — many of which elude conventional methods and pose significant public health concerns.

Illustration of Actinia. Credit: Huazhang Zhao

“The ability to remove nitrate was quite surprising, as traditional water coagulants exhibit negligible removal of nitrate,” said Elimelech, the Roberto C. Goizueta Professor of Chemical & Environmental Engineering. It’s also critical to water treatment, since nitrate contamination is associated with ‘blue-baby’ syndrome, a potentially fatal condition that affects young children in some parts of the world.

Because it’s a one-step process, professor Huazhang Zhao of Peking University said, the work holds promise for replacing current water treatment methods and greatly reducing the operating costs of water treatment. “It also opens doors for fabricating ‘smart’ materials that can transform configuration and function in response to its environment,” he said.

Written by Eddie Gonzales Jr. – MessageToEagle.com Staff Writer